Idaho woman breaking up ‘dog fight’ grabs young cougar

UPDATED: Tue., Feb. 5, 2019, 8:25 p.m.

A mountain lion seeks safety in a tree on the state-managed Sinlahekin Wildlife Area near Loomis, Washington. Idaho wildlife officials say a woman who thought she was breaking up a dog fight quickly realized she’d grabbed hold of a young mountain lion. (Justin Haug / SR)

MACKAY, Idaho – Idaho wildlife officials say a woman who thought she was breaking up a dog fight quickly realized she’d grabbed hold of a young mountain lion.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game wrote in a prepared statement Monday that the woman thought her dog was fighting with another dog outside their home in Mackay on Jan. 30 when she started pulling the animals apart.

Despite her surprise, she managed to restrain the 35-pound male cougar and her dog while she yelled for her husband, who was still inside, to come out with his gun. He arrived and shot the wild animal while she held on to it.

Wildlife authorities have taken the carcass for testing at the Wildlife Health and Forensic Laboratory to determine if the animal was diseased. The woman and the dog were scratched during the incident but otherwise appeared unharmed.

There have been three reported incidents of mountain lions attacking dogs in central Idaho since the start of the year.